Energy

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Thanks to the brilliant Andy Kefford for the above image

Energy. Keeping your mental, physical, emotional and spiritual energy levels at an optimum will ensure you have the energy and vitality required for change. However you keep your energy levels high, scheduling time in your day to build your energy levels will go a long way to assist you on your journey of change. It could be 60 minutes at the gym, 30 minutes reading, 10 minutes of meditation  or 5 minutes of solitude.

In this fast paced digital world we may think that we need to have high energy all the time to keep up with the many demands of our busy lives. Having high energy is important, however having low energy is just as important and both energy levels are required to create balance. As humans our energy levels are cyclical just like the seasons of nature that evolve into each other, just like night follows day, and just like the tides flow and ebb, each phase allows the other to co-exist. 

When you are in a low energy phase allow yourself to take the foot off the pedal, be kind to yourself, relax, recuperate and enjoy the deep feeling of contentment that this can bring. This will serve you well when the time for high energy reappears. 

[tweetthis]‘I surround myself with good people who make me feel great and give me positive energy.’  Ali Krieger[/tweetthis]

If you want to learn more about creating effective change in your life and/or business, download my free e-book ‘The A-Z of Effective Change’ below. 

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

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Dedication

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Thanks to the brilliant Andy Kefford for the above image

Dedication. Effective and sustainable change is a never ending journey which is why dedication is so important.To ensure change is implemented you must be dedicated to it. Even more dedication is required to ensure the implemented change is sustained. 

Ask yourself the following questions, why do I want to change, why is this change so important, what will the benefits be, what will the consequences be if I don’t change, how much do I want this change?

Keep the answers to the above questions to the front of your mind as they will give you the determination you need to move ahead and succeed when times get tough as they inevitably will.

In order to succeed we need consistent, daily discipline and determination to stay on track. 

[tweetthis]‘We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.’  Jesse Owens[/tweetthis]

If you want to learn more about creating effective change in your life and/or business, download my free e-book ‘The A-Z of Effective Change’ below. 

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

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Confidence

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Image Credit – the brilliant Andy Kefford

Confidence. When you have decided to create change in your life you will need high levels of  self confidence in yourself and in your ability to change. 

Change often brings feelings of uncertainty, fear and anxiety. 

Every time we make bring something new into our lives or learn something new, it requires a new and higher level of confidence to deal with those feelings of uncertainty, fear and anxiety. Continuously building your inner confidence will diminish and alleviate these feelings of uncertainty, fear and anxiety. 

These are normal feelings towards change, however if we do not deal with and alleviate these feelings they will hold us back. We can procrastinate and in some instances we can convince ourselves that we no longer need or want to change. 

The best way to deal with feelings of uncertainty, fear & anxiety and the obstacles they create is to develop confidence – inner, unshakable self confidence. 

As you build your inner confidence, you will inspire others to have confidence in themselves as they navigate the ever evolving path of change.  As humans, we are capable of anything we put our minds to. The first step of achieving our dreams is having the inner confidence to believe we can. 

[tweetthis]‘Through my education, I didn’t just develop skills, I didn’t just develop the ability to learn, but I developed confidence.’  Michelle Obama [/tweetthis]

Pinky’s image below is inspired by 80s band Journey’s hugely successful song ‘Don’t Stop Believing’. Playing, singing and dancing to this excellent song at high volume will do wonders for your self-confidence! 

If you want to learn more about creating effective change in your life and/or business, download my free e-book ‘The A-Z of Effective Change’ below. 

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

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Bravery

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Image Credit – the brilliant Andy Kefford 

Bravery. Change of all kinds can be challenging as it means stepping into the unknown. 

Change means stepping out of your comfort zone which is difficult and uncomfortable. What if we didn’t change? Yes, we would continue to feel happy enough in our comfort zones, but that’s not where anything or anyone grows!

Comfort zones are meant to be stepped outside of every now and then to see what it is we must learn to grow and develop. Even stepping out of our comfort zone by one or two steps requires bravery. Some people welcome change with open arms, some are filled with fear at the thoughts of even the smallest change and some are in between the two extremes.

Whether the change you are making is personal or professional, whether it is big or small, whether it is something you wished for or didn’t wish for, all change requires bravery on some level.

Bravery is deciding to change. 

Bravery is taking action to change. 

Bravery is stepping outside of your comfort zone.

Bravery is becoming comfortable with the results of change. 

Bravery is doing what is needed to sustain change for the long term. 

When it comes to change in your professional and personal life, take a deep breath, be brave, be very brave and take that next step forward.

What could you achieve with more bravery?

[tweetthis]‘I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.’ Nelson Mandela[/tweetthis]

This post is dedicated to my Dad, Con Danaher, who is the bravest person I know and through his humble braveness he has taught me to be brave and more happy than ever to venture into the unknown!

You can get a copy of my free e-book ‘The A-Z Of Effective Change’ of which this post is a part of by popping your e-mail into the form below,

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

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Awareness

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Image credit – the brilliant Andy Kefford 

The first step to creating effective change in life and business is awareness.

Awareness that something has to change, awareness that something is not working for you, awareness that you want something different. 

Awareness comes from that feeling of something not being quiet right, that feeling that you know things could be better, that feeling that there is more for you.

Maybe you have had that feeling for years, maybe you have had that feeling for only a few minutes, however long you have had this feeling it now becomes an awareness, an awareness that change is needed and when you become aware the journey towards effective change can start. 

As we navigate through our personal and professional lives, what we need expands and evolves. When we become aware of something and want to change it, we have two choices. The first choice is to do nothing resulting in no change, this awareness without change is a missed opportunity and those feelings of something not being quiet right do not go away. The feelings stay but without change will become suppressed. 

The second choice is to  take action.

Wouldn’t you rather take a step forward and change than remain where you are?

The second choice sets us on the path of change, then purposeful, focused and consistent action will move us along this path which is so much better than staying where we are. 

One of my favourite Maya Angelou quotes is 

 ‘Nothing works unless you do’ Maya Angelou

This is so true when it comes to creating effective change in your business and your life. Become aware and take purposeful, focused and consistent action until the change you envisage becomes a reality.

[tweetthis]‘Awareness is all about restoring your freedom to choose what you want instead of what your past imposes on you’ Deepak Chopra[/tweetthis]

You can get a copy of my free e-book ‘The A-Z Of Effective Change’ of which this post is a part of by popping your e-mail into the form below,

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

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The Change Curve

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Image Credit: Madhuri Gupta

The Kubler-Ross model was first introduced to the world by Swiss American psychiatrist Elizabeth Kubler-Ross in her 1969 book ‘Death and Dying’. The Kubler-Ross model initially explained the 5 stages of loss a person goes through when faced with a terminal illness or the loss of a loved one. In her posthumous published book, Kubler-Ross extended her model to include any form of loss such as loss of a job, loss of income, loss of health, loss of a relationship, basically loss of anything that has meaning to us. In this book a 6th stage was suggested which is the stage of Meaning.

The 6 stages of the Kubler-Ross model then became Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance and Meaning.

Through the years, the model has been widely accepted and adopted as emotions we feel not just when loss is experienced but when we go through significant change of any kind, – positive or challenging, wanted or unwanted, planned or unplanned.

 The model, in various forms is widely used in business as a support system to successfully navigate organisational change. The model can also be used in terms of any personal change to understand why we feel what we feel during times of change.

Below are the 6 stages of the Kubler-Ross model in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic that we are all currently living through, by far the biggest change the world has ever seen on such a global scale in our lifetimes. In terms of the Covid-19 pandemic we are at the beginning of the changes that this virus has made and will make to our world. As the future for us all is so uncertain this a perfect time to utilise the Kubler-Ross model to understand the feelings we may be experiencing, based on the changes the pandemic has caused and will cause to our lives.

Stage 1 – Denial

The collective loss from Covid-19 has been on an epic scale and has affected every single person in the world and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

As the world continues to be in varying degrees of lockdown, social distancing and cocooning, feelings of denial may surface. The losses have been different for everyone – some people have lost their lives, of which there is no greater loss. On publishing this post, the death toll worldwide is over 200,000. This means 200,000 families have lost a loved one to Covid-19.

This loss of life is on an unimaginable scale and truly heartbreaking.

Kubler-Ross in her model explained that this first stage is one of shock and denial where time is needed to process the loss/change. It is normal at this time to feel that this is not happening, that somehow there has been a mistake, that what we are experiencing is not true. It is also normal to feel low energy and lack of motivation for anything. This can be a short lived stage moving on to the next stage quickly or people can remain in this stage for a long time making it harder to move to the next stage.

At this relatively early stage of Covid-19, a lot of people have lost jobs, incomes, businesses and we have all lost some element of freedom and miss spending precious time with our loved ones. In this stage it is not uncommon for people to lay blame with someone/something and cling to a false, preferred reality. Whatever loss you have experienced due to Covid-19 or anything else in life, do know that feelings of denial are normal and a natural part of the process we need to go through to accept and ultimately thrive in a new reality.

Stage 2 – Anger

When the loss or change is finally realised and denial is no longer an option, anger sets in. Anger at the loss, anger at the unknown future that lies ahead and anger at the entire situation. This is a stage of anger at oneself, anger at others and anger with life in general. People can be irritated, frustrated, negative, short tempered and can feel like they are a victim during this stage. Usually during this stage the future is most uncertain.

In terms of the Covid-19 pandemic this is very true, no-one knows what will happen with the virus and no-one knows what the future holds for our lives, our jobs, our economy, our families and what level of ‘normal life’ we will return to.

Kubler-Ross in her studies (supported by subsequent findings) noted that some people can alternate between denial and anger for some time which makes sense in the current Covid-19 situation as the future is so unknown. Anger is a well recognised emotion of loss/change and is an important part of the human emotional spectrum. When managed effectively, anger can support us and help us to move to the next stage of the Kubler-Ross model.

Stage 3 – Bargaining

In the third stage of the Kubler-Ross model there is a hope that there could be another outcome to the reality of what is happening. For example in terms of job/income loss one might bargain by saying ‘I’ll never take my job/income for granted again’. In terms of a business/relationship loss one might bargain by saying ‘I’ll spend more time on my business/relationship in the future’. Bargaining can take the form of many guises – anything that takes away the pain of the loss/change and in some way makes the loss/change seem less real.

In this stage we look for a better, more positive outcome because we do not want to accept or deal with reality.

Stage 4 – Depression

During this stage many negative emotions are felt –  immense sadness, fear, regret, worry, doubt, confusion, orientation, causing low mood and low energy. People may become indifferent and reclusive, push people away and have no interest in or excitement about life itself or anything else that once gave meaning to their lives.

This is a stage of despair where there seems to be little or no light at the end of the tunnel.

Awareness of this stage goes a long way to working through these emotions to move to the next stage. If you find yourself in this stage, reach out for help. There is so much support available to help you understand these feelings and work through this stage.

Stage 5 – Acceptance

In the penultimate stage there is a realisation that denial of, being angry at, bargaining with and being depressed about the loss/change will not make the situation any different. It is here in this stage that we stop resisting the situation and accept it completely. We may not be happy with the new situation but we accept it nonetheless which is crucial to enable us to move forward.

The new situation we find ourselves in becomes the ‘new normal’, routines are rebuilt, everything starts to become second nature and there seems to be not just light but happiness, contentment, fulfillment and optimism for the future at the end of the tunnel.

Previous feelings of sadness, fear, regret, worry, doubt, confusion, orientation and low energy diminish and are replaced by forward thinking, confidence, excitement, engagement, optimism with high energy and hope for the future. As positive as this stage may sound, there is still work to be done as planning for the new future can cause worry, doubt and confusion.

By learning about and and using the Kubler-Ross model we may want to skip all of the previous stages and get to the acceptance stage as it seems like a nicer, more pleasant, easier place to be. However this is not possible, every stage of the Kubler-Ross model fulfills a purpose that ultimately allows acceptance. No matter how dark the tunnel may seem, there is always light and much more than you can imagine at the other end.

In terms of Covid-19, we don’t know what the future holds and so all we can do is accept the current situation which is different for all of us at the moment.

‘We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude…I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you…we are in charge of our attitudes.‘

 Charles Swindoll

Stage 6 – Meaning

In this final stage, the loss/change has been accepted, the ‘new normal’ created has been accepted and this ‘new normal’ starts to take on meaning. Life starts to feel normal again and plans start to take shape for the future. As the ‘new normal’ becomes more enjoyable and has more meaning, people can start to look back at the journey of loss/change that they have come through. Learnings from this change cycle can be evaluated and understood that will support us when the next wave of change comes our way. We evolve and grow from every change in our lives, how much we evolve and grow is very much in our control.

If you want to learn more about having meaning in life, I highly recommend Viktor Frankl’s book ‘Man’s Search For Meaning’.

This book is absolutely life changing and gives meaning to meaning!!!!

Viktor E. Frankl was professor of neurology and psychiatry at the University of Vienna medical School until his death in 1997. His 32 books have been translated into 26 languages. During World War II he spent 3 years in Auschwitz, Dachau and other concentration camps.

‘Man’s Search For Meaning’ is Frankl’s recollection of his time in the concentration camps where everything was taken from him yet he still managed to find meaning to his life. This book is not just a holocaust survivor story, it is a brilliant masterpiece of hope, resilience, survival and an insight into the depths of the human strength that we all carry within us. This book reminds us that no matter how hard life gets, no matter what gets thrown at us or taken from us, as long as we are still alive we can always choose to bring meaning to our lives.

We may not move through the Kubler-Ross model in a linear fashion or step by step, instead we may move through the model in a random order, going back and forth between each stage with each stage lasting a different length of time. We are all unique, we all live unique lives and so we all experience loss/change differently. The Kubler-Ross model is a support system that can help you move from stage to stage and reassure you that what you feel is completely normal.

There is and always will be light at the end of every tunnel.

I hope you and your families are safe and well and that your ‘Change Curve’ due to Covid-19 or anything else isn’t too steep,

Want to read more about change?

Download your free e-book ‘The A-Z of Effective Change’ below. 

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

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The Pomodoro Technique

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Image Credit: Madhuri Gupta

I have been using the Pomodoro Technique for many years and I find it keeps me focused, on track, organised and helps me to get things done efficiently and effectively.  

So what is The Pomodoro technique and how does it work?

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s to help utilise time more effectively. Work is broken down into intervals usually 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks.

Each interval is known as a ‘pomodoro’ (Italian word for ‘tomato’) named after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer that Cirillo used when he discovered the method.

For anyone who tends to procrastinate (which is more than likely most of us at some time) this is an excellent technique as it gives structure and urgency to tasks.

Below are a list of benefits from using the Pomodoro Technique,

  • Makes your work more organised and supports better planning of tasks as you need to plan out your work one pomodoro at a time
  • Gives urgency to tasks as you are very much aware of the amount of time you have to get tasks done
  • Ensures you take sufficient breaks – it is suggested to take short breaks (not exactly coffee breaks!) in between each pomodoro and a longer break at the end of 4 pomodoros – you can decide what timings work best for you
  • Increases focus and concentration by reducing interruptions – it’s best to turn off all distractions during pomodoros (e-mails/social media/phone etc) 
  • Increases focus as the more you use pomodoros, the more you will realise how long it takes to get tasks done (we tend to underestimate how long it takes to get tasks done)
  • Increases focus as usually one pomodoro is used for one task which naturally helps us to prioritise
  • Increases motivation – we are motivated by getting things done and the Pomodoro Technique certainly supports getting things done
  • The more you use it, the more you will evolve and change it to suit your own working style

There are many apps and websites available that support the Pomodoro Technique, I use Pomodoro Tracker which is really easy to use.

Do you think the Pomodoro Technique could help you get more tasks done effectively and efficiently? 

Do you use the Pomodoro Technique? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.

Want to read more about Positive Change?

Download your free e-book ‘The A-Z of Effective Change’ below

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain 

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All Green is Red

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Following on from my blog post ‘Red is Good’, this post takes a look at the role the colour green plays in business in terms of Lean. The colour green is associated with all things positive –  go, start, progress, energy, growth, environment, finance etc. 

We use green in the Lean world to highlight when a target has been met, when something is on track, when a task has been completed, when we are happy with an outcome. As green is associated with positive outcomes, it would be normal to think that all green is good.

This is not always the case.

Problems exist in all processes and if all we are seeing is green then these problems are not visible.  In this case then ‘All Green is Red!’. Problems will be invisible if your measures are too high level, too low level or if your measures are not the correct measures.

Taiichi Ohno’s well known saying ‘No problem is a problem’ is so true. If you are not seeing problems in your process than this is a problem.

How do you make problems visible in your workplace?

Does your culture support problem identification, discussion and solving?

Thanks for reading, you might like my previous post on ‘Red is Good’,

Siobhain

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Annual Review 2019

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In the Lean/Continuous Improvement world we carry out ‘Hansei’ which is Japanese for ‘Self-Reflection’. Hansei allows us to review & reflect on our goals (personal and professional) to evaluate what worked so we can build on the successes and evaluate what didn’t work so we can adjust and change direction.

I have been carrying out an ‘Annual Hansei/Review’ for many years and find it hard to believe this is the 7th year I have published this review online. See Annual Reviews from past years at the end of this blog post.

A large part of me didn’t want to do this year’s Annual Review as I would prefer to look forward to 2020 than to look back at 2019. Parts of 2019 were amazing, and parts were beyond sad. My uncle and one of my best friends passed away in Oct/Nov and everything else that happened in 2019 paled into insignificance.

Losing people you love is hard for many reasons and even if someone has been ill it is still so unexpected and completely unwelcome. It is an inevitable destination for us all but still yet so incomprehensible. 

And so, with trepidation, here is my Annual Review for 2019. As always, Mike, my family and my friends are my reason for everything. and the source of most of my happiness.

Lean is a business philosophy that I follow at work & in my personal life and that I write about here on my blog. 

I had 3 ‘Lean’ highlights this year,

1. I travelled to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia on two trips to teach (and learn) Lean Principles & Leadership to the 2018 & 2019 classes of Riyadh Airport Future Leaders. These groups of young and inspirational Future Leaders taught me more than I could ever teach them. I am grateful to all at daa International for this opportunity esp. my friends Debbie Kearns for looking after me so well and all of the Riyadh Airports Future Leaders for welcoming me to their beautiful country and sharing their knowledge with me.

2. I wrote an e-book on ‘Positive Change’  All going well I will be launching it early in 2020. The e-book is a compilation of blog posts from a blog series I wrote in 2019/2019, you can view the blog posts here ‘The A-Z Of Effective Change’

 3. I am fascinated by Japan and all things Japanese and in 2020 I am finally getting to tick Japan off my ‘to visit’ list. I have booked a place on Katie Anderson’s ‘Lean Study Trip’ in May 2020 and will be sharing the journey with you here on my blog and through social media

Similar to 2018, in 2019 I became more aware of the power and necessity of a Lean Culture in business. Respect for & development of people is truly the only way to grow and sustain businesses. Lacking these people focused elements and treating people poorly will ensure your company is one that people cannot wait to leave and are in no hurry to join, leaving your company moral on a downward spiral with your profits following closely behind.

In terms of Travel and Photography, my friend’s Karin and Paula enjoyed a few days skiing in the Italian Alps in February. I’m not the best skier  but the fresh air and the excellent company on the slopes was food for the soul!

 I visited Riyadh with work twice in 2019. My blog post on ‘The Top 5 Reasons To Visit Saudi Arabia’ was my most viewed blog post of 2019. I cannot recommend Saudi Arabia highly enough as somewhere to visit and now that it has opened to tourism, there has never been a better time.

My Mom and I spent 2 fabulous weeks on the islands of Malta and Gozo in September. I would highly recommend both islands as places to visit, you can read more about them on my blog posts, 

The Top 5 Things To Do in Malta

The Top 5 Things To Do in Gozo

 I enjoyed working with my gorgeous family and friends on photo shoots this year, it is always a joy to work with those you love.

Like most things in life, the more I learn about social media the more I realise I don’t know. Social media changes every day and so there is always much to keep up to date with.

In 2019 I continued to post about Travel and Photography and Positive Change on my blogs,

‘The Photographer’s Guide To Travel’

‘The Art Of Positive Change’

Blog posts on ‘The Art Of Positive Change’ were categorised into 3 areas of interest, 

  1. Thoughts On Change – my thoughts on both personal and professional change
  2. Tools Of The Change Trade  – useful tools I recommend for personal/professional change 
  3. Book Reviews – reviews of books I love

Throughout  2019 I continued to post daily positive quotes to various social media platforms which helped me learn more about posting, scheduling and outsourcing on social media. I created ‘The Quotes Store’ on Flickr where you can download albums of these positive quotes for your own use.

I continued to work with the brilliant cartoonist Andy Kefford who created the cartoons of ‘Pinky the Positive Pig’, the star of my 26 part blog post series  ‘The Complete A-Z Of Effective Change’ of which my new e-book is based. I look forward to sharing our new writing project with you later in 2020!

I love writing on my blogs and I learned over the past couple of years is that not only do you need to build skills to write content, but you also need to find the time to think about, write, edit, publish and market this content.  I struggled to find enough time for writing last year (as I did in 2018) and so this is a real focus area for me for 2020.

I have always been aware of the importance of physical and mental health. 2019, for many reasons, brought this awareness to another level. 

Keeping our physical and mental health in peak shape is required for everything else in our lives to function. Working to look after our physical and mental health should be the top priority in our lives and a daily practice to ensure same. 

I wish you and your loved ones excellent physical and mental health in 2020.

In 2019 I continued to improve my financial habits by learning from Tony Robbins book ‘Money Master the Game – 7 Simple Steps To Financial Freedom’.  Tony is a master when it comes to finance and in this book he not only shares his own wisdom but also leverages the wisdom of many of the world’s finest financial advisors to share their advice, insights and experience. Tony’s book is written in an easy to understand format for all levels of financial understanding which is why I like it so much.

Like all habits, my financial habits are a work in progress. 

 

It’s nice to give back. I have been supporting various charities for many years. Year on year I try to give more to each charity whether this is monetary support or volunteering my time. This is something I will continue with and build on in 2020.

That’s it, 2019 in review, albeit a little less detailed than previous years.

 Here’s to 2020, may the New Year (and the new decade) bring you and your loved ones health, happiness and prosperity,

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

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Note: The system I use for my Annual Review is a work in progress and evolves year on year. When I first carried out my Annual Review I started with a template used by Chris Guillebeau. If you are interested in starting your own Annual Review, here is Chris’s guidelines on  How To Conduct your own Annual Review and his  Annual Review Template.

My previous Annual Reviews can be found below,

Annual Review 2013  Annual Review 2014  Annual Review 2015

Annual Review 2016  Annual Review 2017

Annual Review 2018 

 

 

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Red is Good

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Photo Credit: Olav Ahmen Rotne (Unsplash)

The colour red is associated with energy, passion, action and feelings of warmth, vibrancy and intensity. Red is also associated with danger and most warning signs we see on our roads and in our workplaces are red for this reason.

In a Lean culture red usually means something has failed, that there has been a deviation from standard, that a target has not been met – in short there is a problem of some kind.

A company that does not have a healthy culture of problem-solving assigns blame to those who find problems, which in turn drives employees to remain silent and not speak up about problems with their processes and work environment. This fear of speaking out and associated silence has a detrimental effect on companies and their employees as not only do the problems get worse and more frequent, the employees get frustrated, disengaged, disillusioned and spend more time covering up problems than solving them.

In this culture, the colour red associated with problems becomes a colour of danger, a colour to be avoided, a colour that no-one wants to be associated with.

In stark contrast, a company with a healthy Lean culture of systematic problem solving encourages problem identification, discussion and investigation into why problems occur and implementation of sustainable solutions. Blame does not exist in this company as everyone is aware of and understands that problems are caused by ineffective, outdated, broken, unsuitable, non-standardised processes. This culture ensures that processes are monitored and improved, and people are developed and rewarded – two of the key principles of Lean.

[tweetthis]’Problems are treasures, reward the messenger’ Pascal Dennis [/tweetthis]

In a Lean culture of systematic problem solving when we see red we,

  1. Know we have a problem
  2. Have open and honest conversations about what the problem is
  3. Investigate how the problem occurred
  4. Brainstorm solutions to solve the problem
  5. Work together to implement sustainable solutions to ensure the problem does not reoccur
  6. Monitor and continuously improve the process
  7. Reward and recognise excellent problem solving and teamwork

How is red perceived where you work? Is red a colour that is welcomed or does it mean danger?

I hope you are lucky enough to have a culture where ‘Red is Good’!

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

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Not sure what Lean is?

Check out my previous blog post ‘Meeting Art and Understanding Lean’ where I share Art Byrne’s keynote speech that I attended at the 2013 Lean Enterprise Academy Summit.

This video sums up exactly what Lean is and how important it is to business. 6 years later I continue to refer to this video all the time – so much wisdom!!!

Photo Credit: Alana Harris (Unsplash)

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